Various devices have been created to secure the hood of a vehicle in an open position in order to allow the operator or maintenance personnel safe access to the engine. That is, personnel can work on the engine without fear of the hood, which is often very heavy especially on larger vehicles like a truck, from prematurely closing on the limbs or body of the personnel. For example, the prior art includes use of a safety cable fixed to the hood of a truck. After the operator or maintenance personnel lifts the hood, they can attach the cable which will become taut when the hood moves approximately more than halfway closed. However, the safety cable must be manually attached to the engine when the hood is fully opened. If the operator forgets to do this, he risks serious danger. Likewise, if the truck breaks down at night, the operator could bum his hands attempting to find the location on the engine where the safety cable can be latched. Another solution to the problem of premature hood closure includes use of a flat long bar which is fixed on one end to the hood. As the hood is opened, the bar slides along a guide until a notch on the bottom side of the bar drops into a slot. The notch locks the hood in an open position. The maintenance personnel can then lift the bar to release the hood upon completing the maintenance to the engine or related components. This solution takes an extraordinary amount of space due to the travel associated with the hood. That is, the bar must be exceptionally long, approximately two feet or longer. Additionally, to retrofit existing trucks with this safety device requires cutting existing structure to facilitate the bar as well as adding structure like a hinge bolt. Furthermore, the notch in the support bar can be rendered ineffective by dirt, ice, or other contaminants associated with the working environment of a vehicle. Moreover, the maintenance personnel may pinch or cut their hand when pulling the flat bar out of the slot upon attempting to close the hood.